Apparatus for molding cement blocks



Nov. 3, 1931. E. v.1. GARVIN 1,829,795

APARATUS FOR MOLDING CEMENT BLOCKS Original Filed Jan. 15, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 1 grwwnto'p Nov. 3, 1931. E. J. GARVIN I 1,329,795

APPARATUS FOR MOLDING CEMENT BLOCKS I Original Filed Jan. 15, 1926 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STA rss PATENT OFFICE EDWARDJ. GARVIN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO CONCRETE ENGINEERING& EQUIPMENT 00., OF OLARKSDA LE, ARIZONA, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONAAPPARATUS FOR MOLDING CEMENT BLOCKS Application filed January 13, 1926,Serial No. 80,921. Renewed August 5, 1929.

' molding cement blocks and more particularly to. an apparatus formolding hollow cement,

. concrete or like material tile.

An object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for moldinghollow concrete tile in which means are provided for feeding thematerial into the mold, tamping the material in the mold and forinverting and ejecting the molded tile from the mold upon the formationof the same.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for moldinghollow concrete or cement tileinwhich cores are employed in amolding'box and which molding box and cores are, upon introduction ofthe material into the molding-box and tamping the same, inverted so asto permit the ejecting of the molded tile from the molding boxes, afterwhich the molding boxes and cores are again raised or inverted to theelevated position.

i tile.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatic tampingmeans for'tamping the material in the molding boxes around the cores soas to form the hollow concrete Another object of this invention is toprovide a tile or block molding machine having a molding box unit and anautomatic tamping unit which may be operated to tamp the concrete intothe mold as the same is filled.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tile or block moldingmachine in which automatic tamping means are provided and means forautomatically feeding the material into the molds during the operationof the tamping means. i

Another object of this invention is to provide a tile or block moldingmachine in which the blocks are formed, tampered in a moldingbox andsubsequently ejected from the said box.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof asillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus for molding cement blocksembodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, taken substantially on the line2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan View thereof.

Figure l is a fragmental top plan view thereof, illustrating'the tampingmeans as removed.

Figure 5 is a sectional side elevation thereof, taken substantially onthe line 5-5 of Figure 4, illustrating a cover board clamped in positionprior. to inverting the molding box.

Figure 6 is a fragmental sectional end elevation illustrating themolding box, cores and blocks in the inverted position ready to ejectthe blocks therefrom and showing in dotted lines the blocks as ejected.

Figure ,7 is a fragmental perspective end view showing the movableejecting frame unit as detached from the machine.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, A illustrates a main frame unit in which aninvertible molding box unit B and ejecting frame unit C are mounted andwhich frame unit A supports an automatically operated tamping unit D.

The frame unit A comprises a base 1 to which vertically extendinguprights 2 are secured. The uprights 2 are secured at their upper endsto angle irons 3 at corner plates 4. Spaced uprights 5 are secured tothe base 1 at their lower ends and at their upper ends to a hopper table6. Braces 7 are provided which are secured to the table 6 and to theuprights 5. Braces 8 are secured to the base 1 and to the uprights 2.Longitudinally 'extending angle irons 9 are secured to the uprights 2 atpoints elevated from the base 1 and bearing supporting bars 10 aresecured to the uprights 2at a point elevatedfrom the frame members 9.

Mounted within the frame unit A is a molding box unit B which comprisesa molding box 11 which is supported upon a shaft 12. The shaft 12 isjournaled in bearings 13 mounted upon the bearing bars 10 of the frameunit A. The molding box 11 is a rectangular box having no bottom and apartimolding box 11 is formed of sides 17 and ends 4 18 and is securedto angles 19 at its respective corners, which angles 19 also form guidesfor the ejector frame. Cores 20 are mounted within the chambers 15 and16 and are preferably constructed and metal stamped so as to provide alower tapered portion 21 and an upper or steeply inclined taperedportion 22 which terminates in an upper plate 23 which closes the coresat the upper end. The bottom of the cores 20 are provided with coreclamps, 24 which core clamps 24 comprise base plates 25 and transverselyextending bars 26 which are secured to the base plate 25by means ofbolts. The bars 26 extend across the cores 20 of which there arepreferably two mounted in each chamber 15 and 16 and hold the same inspaced relation within the said chambers. The bars 26 extend across thebottom ed es of the cores 20 so that the same are rigidly maintained inposition. The bars 26 are clamped to the inwardly extending portions ofthe cores 20 by taking up on the bolts by means of which the bars 26 aresecured to' the plate 25. The bars 26 extend across the overlappingportions 28 of the cores 20. The cores are maintained'spaced apart bymeans of the bolts which pass through the plate 25 and bars 26.

Secured to the over-lapping portions 28 of the cores 20 are ears 29which'provide bearings through which the shaft 11 extends so that thecores 20 are frictionally mounted on bearings on theshaft 11.

The ejector frame unit C is preferably of the following construction andcomprises longitudinal extending angle irons 30 which are spaced apartand which are secured at their opposite ends to lower guide irons 31, to

which guide irons 31 vertically extending ejector frame angles 32 aresecured and to which vertically extending angle irons .32, second ideirons 33 are secured at points spaced rom the lowerguide irons 31.Secured tothe shaft 12 between guides 31 and 33 are cams 34, An ejectorbottom 35 which forms a bottom for the core box 11 and is shaped to fitaround the cores 20 is supported on studs 36. The studs 36 at theirlower ends are secured to the longitudinally extending frame members 30of the ejector unit C. I

Means are provided which are connected to and movable with the ejectorframe unit C for clamping a cover-plate 37 over thechamhere 15 and 16prior to the rotation of themolding box unit B-of the shaft 12. Theseclamp members preferably comprise T- shaped clamp bars 38 which aresecured to pins 39, which pins 39 pass through transversely extendingangle irons 40 and segmentalangle irons 41 which are secured to theangle irons 40. Compression springs 42 are mounted upon the pins 39between the head 43 of the pin 39 and the segmental angle irons 41 andyieldablyurge the T- shaped clamp member 38 downward to clamp thecover-plate 37 against the upper edges of the sides and ends of thecore-box 11. Plates 44 are secured to the angle irons 41 and extendinwardly and support spaced studs 45 which bear against theunder-surface of the cover-plate 37 to cooperate with the .T- shapedlatch members 38 to hold the coverplate 37 in position when theejectorframe has been actuated to eject the molded blocks from the core boxas'will hereinafter appear. Lugs 46 are secured to the upper front endsof the top of the molding box 11in position to engage the ends of thetransversely extending angle irons 47 which are secured to the uprights5 and are supported by means of posts 48 secured to transverselyextending basewheels 50 is provided with handles 52 for rotating thecams 34 to invert the molding box 11 and to actuate the ejector frameunit C in the manner that will hereinafter be described.

Secured to the base-plates 49 are adjustable studs 53 which arepositioned in spaced apart positions to receive the cover-plate 37carrying the molded blocks or tile as the same have been ejected fromthe molding box 11. These studs 53 are adjustable in position so thatthe same may be adjusted accurately to the position to which the coresare ejected, by the ejector frame.

The automatic tamping unit preferably comprises a pair of tamping heads54 which are secured-to transversely extending guide bars 55 which aremounted between the uprights 2, the guide bars 55 being spaced apart adistance equal to or slightly greater than the width of the uprights 2so as to guide the said heads 54 during the reciprocation thereof. Angleirons 56'are secured across the guidemembers 55 in position toengage theinner edges of the uprights 2 and likewise act as guides for the tampingheads 54. Secured to the guide bars 55 are uprights 57 which are placedby bars 58 and are secured at their upper ends to a guide frame 59 whichis similar in construction to the guide frame grovided by the guidemembers 55 and 56.

64 is driven upon anysuitable source ofv power, not shown. Lifter camarms 65 are rigidly secured to the shaft 61 in position to engage thecam 60. The lifter cam arms 65 carry rollers 66 at their opposite endsso that upon rotation of the shaft 61, the rollers 66 of the roller camarms engage the cams 60 to raise the tamper head 64. Upon furtherrotation of the lifter cam arms65, the rollers 66 pass under the cams 60and permit the tamper heads 54 to fall by gravity to tamp the blockswithin the molding box 11.

In order to support the tamping heads 54 in an elevated osition duringthe filling of the molds, latcli means are provided which preferablycomprise a latch arm 67 which is rigidly secured to a latch shaft 68which is mounted in brackets 69 which are secured to the frame unit A atthe upper end thereof. Secured to the opposite end of the latch shaft 68is a latch bar 70 which provides a latch shoulder 71 which is adapted tobe engaged under the transverse extension of the angle iron 59 so as tohold the frame supporting the tamping heads 54 in an elevated position.The latch handle 67 is bent inwardly as illustrated at 72 and is adaptedto be enga ed with a hookmember 7 3 which prevents ,t e latch handle 67from being rotated forward out of reach of the operator of the machine,the latch member 70 being engaged under the shoulder 71 in a verticalposition. The strain upon the latch member 70 is vertical so that whenin a latching position there will be no tendency of the latch member 70to become disengaged. a

The molding box unit has been illustrated as being adapted for formingtwo hollow or cored'concrete tile, however the molding box unit mightbe'varied at will to enable the formation of any suitable size andnumber of tile.

in order that the cases 20 may be changed at will and properlypositioned upon the shaft 12, the bearings 13 are movably mounted on theshaft'12.

Means are provided for automatically feeding the concrete, cement, orthe like into the molding box during the operation of the tamping unit Dwhich means preferabl comprise an inclined chute 75 having an en argedreceiving hopper-head 76 into which the material is dumped from aconveyor diagrammatically illustrated at 77.113 gate 78 is provided inthe chute 75 so asto arrestthe delivery of the material when the tampingunit D is stopped during the ejecting of themolded product from themolding box unit B. The 'c'hute 75 extends to a position directlyl overthe molding box unit B and over the tamping heads 54 which are hollowand delivers the material through and around the said heads 54 into themolding box unit. V

The operation of this machine is as follows: Concrete, cement or likematerial is fed from a hopper 75 of any desired or preferredconstruction into the molding box 11 or onto .fall into the concrete anthe table 6 thereof, the concrete or like material being drawn from thetable 6 by means of a board or other scraping means into the molding box11 into spaces in the molding box around the molds 20. The latch handle67 is then actuated to release the latch andermit the tamping heads 54to fall. The pu ley 64 is driven from any suitable source of power toraise and permit the tam ing heads 54 to is thoroughly tamped within themolding box 11 around f the molds 20. After the tamping has beencompleted, the latch member 67 is swung into position so that the latcharm 70 engages the shoulder 71 which permits the latch lift-er means 65to rotate without permitting the tamping heads to fall. A cover-plate 37is then placed over the top of the molding box 11 and the T-shapedclamps 38 are rotated to engage the edges of the cover-plate 37 to holdthe same securely in position. The op erator then rotates the cams 34 bymeans of handles 52, which rotation results in the revolving of theentire invertible molding box unit B and ejecting frame unit C from theposition illustrated in Figure 5 to the posi-- The lugs 46 then engagethe ends of the angle irons47 and prevent further rotation of themolding box unit B and ejecting unit C. On further-rotation of the cams34 and the shaft 12, the shaft 12 rotates relative to the bearings 29.This causes the cams 34 to cause the ejecting unit C to move verticallyby the engagement of the cams 34 with the guide arms 31 and 33. Themolding unit B remains stationary and the angle irons 19 guide theejecting unit asthe same are engaged with the angle irons 32. ,Thevertical movement of the ejecting unit 0 causes the false bot tom 35 tobe forced downwardly to push the molding blocks of tile from the moldingbox. Upon a rotation of 180 of the came 34, the e'ector unit C is pausedto completely eject the molded blocks or tile from the moldin box 11from the position illustrated in in! lines to the position illustratedin dotted lines in Figure 6, the cover-plate 37 eventually coming torest upon the adjustable studs 53. The T-shaped clamps 38 are thenreleased and the cam 34 is rotated inthe opposite direction to returnthe moldin box 11 and the ejecting unit C to the position illustratediii Figure 5 so that the same are ready to receive another charge ofmaterial to mold anotherset of blocks.

The provision of the automatic tamping unitD,together with the uprightmolding box unit B and the chute 75 and the conveyor 77 while fillingthe p molding box has long been-sought as it enablesthe formationof ablock of tile which is free from voids and may be easily and quicklyremoved from the molding box after formed.

Having fully described a preferred embodiment of this invention, it isto be understood that I do not wish to be limitedto the exact detailsherein set forth which may obviously be varied without departing fromthe spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a frameunit, an invertible molding box mounted within the said frame, anejector frame provided with a movable bottom for the said molding boxunit, means for inverting the frame and box and means actuated by saidinverting means for moving the said ejector unit vertically when thesaid molding'box unit has been inverted to eject the molded blocks fromthe said molding box unit.

2. In an apparatus'of the class described, the combination of a frame, amolding box unit mounted within the frame, a shaft, cores looselysupported on the said shaft, a movable bottom for the said molding unitand means mounted on the said shaft for supporting the saidmovable'bottom.

3.'In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of aframe-unit, a molding box unit mounted Within the said frame unit,

cores mounted within the molding box unit in upright position, a cornerangle secured to thesaid molding box unit, and an ejecting unit adaptedto be guided by the said 'corner angle.

block from the said molding box unit when the same is inverted.

7 In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a moldingbox unit, an ejector unit, a shaft rotatably supporting the said units,cores mounted in the molding box, means journaled on said shaft andsecured to said cores, means for rotating the sald shaft to invert themolding box unit, and

means operable on rotation of the shaft to actuate the said ejector unitto eject the molded product from the molding box unit. 8. In anapparatus of the class described, the combination of a frame unit, amolding box unit rotatably supported in the said frame unit, anautomatic tamping unit adapted to automatically ta-mp the material inthe said molding box unit while the same is being filled and while inthe upright position, the said automatic tamping means ineluding atamping head having a passage formed therethrough, hopper means forfilling the said molding box unit through the said-passage, and meansfor rotating the molding box unit when the same is filled.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 31st day of December 1925.

I EDWARD J. GARVIN.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, 1

the combination of a frame unit,an invertible boxunit mounted within thesaid frame unit, an ejector frame unit, a cover-plate for the saidmoldin box unit, latch means for latching the sai cover-plate to thesaid ejector'frame unit, and means for moving the ejector frame unitwith the said cover-plate for ejecting molded blo'cks from the saidmolding box unit when the said molding box unit is inverted.

- 5. In an'apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a molding box unit, an ejector frame unit havingstuds at its top, a cover-plate for the molding box unit adapt-' ed tobe clamped on the sald studs, a movable bottom for the molding box unit,811' ported by the ejector frame unit so that t e distance'between themovable bottom and cover-plate will remain the same while the moldedblock is being ejected from the molding box unit.

6. In' an apparatus of the 'class described, the combination of a frameunit,-a molding box unit supported on a shaft mounted in bearings in thesaid frame unit, the said

